


At Long Last Love Has Arrived

by malecswedlock



Category: Shadowhunters
Genre: Alec being soft, Happy Birthday Magnus, M/M, Magnus' birthday, a tiny bit of angst, fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 04:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16906491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malecswedlock/pseuds/malecswedlock
Summary: Magnus never celebrates his birthday on time. Instead, he prefers to throw a big party on a random day. However, this year it will be different.





	At Long Last Love Has Arrived

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is a little something I wrote for Magnus' birthday this year. The idea belongs to Zee (@zeejade88 on twitter), I thank her for this amazing plot, although I'm sure she would've executed it better. Anyway, enjoy and feel free to yell at me on twitter: angry_alec_ :)

_The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak_

_December, 5._

“What’s that?” Alec looked at an envelope with golden ornaments Magnus had handed him.

“It’s an invitation for the party next weekend,” Magnus smiled cheerily. “A birthday party to be precise.”

“Your birthday is next weekend? Why haven’t you told me?” Alec tried to sound indignant and offended because he hadn’t been notified about this important event, but it mostly came out as surprised.

“Of course not. I never celebrate the day of my birth on time,” Magnus grinned and headed to the liquor cabinet.

Alec recognized his I’m-trying-to-avoid-this-topic tactic. He thought there must be a reason Magnus didn’t like to celebrate his birthday on the actual day of his birth or discuss why he didn’t. However, he couldn’t just leave it at that.

“Why not?”

“Because,” Magnus sighed pouring the drink in the glass, “time isn’t the boss of me, Alexander. Besides, I don’t really remember when it is, so I throw a party every year on a different day. Isn’t it just exciting to choose yourself when to have your birthday? To be in control.”

“To be in control,” Alec repeated slowly. “So is there something in particular you want as your birthday present?” he smiled pretending to have dismissed the distressed notes in Magnus’ voice. Magnus grinned. He put the glass down and started filling another one.

“You coming to the party would be the best present I could wish for,” he handed Alec the glass and they drank.

_December, 6._

“What are you doing?” Isabelle said after she entered the room and saw her brother buried in books, so she could only see his hair looking out of the pile, which included all sorts of literary works. “Is there a demon on the loose or something?”

“No, it’s far more complicated,” Alec leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I’m trying to find out when Magnus’s birthday is.”

Izzy scoffed. “Wouldn’t it be easier to ask him?”

“As if it were _that_ easy. He’s not telling.”

“Why not?”

“Because the time isn’t the boss of him and he can have his birthday whenever he pleases,” Alec repeated Magnus’s words in a theatrical manner.

“Oh, I see,” Izzy sat down in an armchair in front of Alec’s desk. “Any luck?”

“Not really.”

“Why do you care? I mean, if he wants to have his birthday today or next week, what does it matter? Keeping the element of surprise.”

“Because I do, Izzy.”

“Okay,” Isabelle nodded, then stood up and picked up a book. “Let me help you then.”

_December, 8._

Maia put another glass of martini in front of Magnus. “Drinking alone again?”

Magnus took a sip. “Well, you don’t see anyone else here with me, do you?”

“Oh, someone’s salty today. Is everything alright with you?” She asked kindly.

“I’m sorry,” Magnus replied. “I just didn’t have the best day of my life,” he smiled weakly. “I better go home.” He left the money on the table and left without finishing his martini. He didn’t even notice Maia calling him when he was on his way towards the door.

It was his birthday today. He was going home alone. A part of him had hoped that Alec would be with him on this day, even though he wouldn’t be aware of how much it meant to him. It would’ve been really nice to spend this day with him, to cook a simple dinner and to just enjoy this day as if it were another lazy night in, and only Magnus would know how much meaning it had. But he was going home alone, and he would spend the evening alone because today, on this particular day, as if the universe conspired against him, Alec decided to go on a mission. He couldn’t be offended by it because Alec had no idea how special this day was, which was Magnus’s own fault. Magnus turned the key in the lock. On entering the apartment he realized he wasn’t alone there. Someone had had the cheek to break in, perhaps to steal one of his precious possessions.

Magnus heard a soft rustle in the living room. He prepared to teach the trespasser a lesson and started approaching the room silently. When he entered he saw his coffee table set for dinner and Alec sitting on the couch. It was dark and only two candles on the table lit the room, so Magnus could only see his silhouette from where he was standing.

“Happy birthday, Magnus.” He heard Alec’s soft voice. He didn’t see it but he knew there was a little smile on Alec’s face.

“What is this?”

“It’s a dinner. I didn’t have much time to cook, but-“

“Weren’t you supposed to be on a mission?” Magnus asked suspiciously.

“There’s never been a mission, Magnus. I just wanted to surprise you. On your real birthday.” Alec stood up and walked up to him. Now Magnus could see his features clearly, not that he hadn’t memorized them all long time ago.

“That’s sweet. You shouldn’t have though. I told you it’s nothing. The date isn’t important when you’ve lived as much as I have.”

“It’s not nothing, your birthday _is_ important. To me at least, Magnus. This is the day you were born. I can’t even imagine what I’d be doing if it hadn’t happened. Your birthday is the most significant date in my life because the minute it happened, the countdown began to the moment we were to meet. I want this to be our day, something we can share with each other. Throwing a party on a random day has no meaning, no actual importance. _This_ is nothing. Because what happens on this day doesn’t matter, it’s all set up,” Alec took Magnus’s hand in his. “I thought, what is he going to do on his actual birthday? Probably stay at home and revisit those dark places of his soul that he’s hiding from everyone the entire year. You aren’t always willing to share what bothers you and clearly you don’t want to tell me why you prefer to ignore your birthday. But I want to know. I want to know everything about you or as much as you’re willing to share. I know you are. I also know you’re afraid to do this because you think it won’t end well. But you’re wrong,” he squeezed Magnus’ hand harder. “I love you and by that I mean every part, every side of you. Everything that happened in those years you’ve lived made you the man you are now, the man I love. You don’t have to tell me now. Or ever, if you feel like it. But I want you to know that here, when there’s just the two of us, you can share anything that bothers you. I want you to know that you should never hide yourself, your soul from me because I love and treasure every single piece of it, even if you don’t,” Alec lifted Magnus’ hands and placed a soft kiss on the back of each hand. A tear appeared in Magnus’s eye.

“You’re surprising as always, Alexander,” he said freeing his right hand cupping Alec’s face. He looked into his eyes and explored the candle lights dancing in them for a brief moment before leaning in for a kiss. Alec smelled like home. He felt a hand on his shoulder as Alec pulled him closer while his other hand was still holding Magnus’s, his thumb caressing it. At this very moment time, the very concept of it ceased to exist. It was just the two of them, frozen in time, in every moment of history, in infinite seconds.

The beeping sound from the kitchen made Alec pull away.

“The dinner’s ready,” he said and rushed to the kitchen. Magnus let himself fall on the sofa uttering the sigh of relief. This was the best birthday party he’d had in a long time.

"So how did you figure it out?" Magnus asked when Alec came back from the kitchen with a tray in his hands. He was holding a chocolate birthday cake. Magnus wondered if it was one of Grandma Lightwood's recipes.

"Figure out what?" Alec carefully placed the tray on the table while Magnus put the candles away making place for him. 

"About my birthday."

"Well," Alec cut a piece of the cake and put it on a plate in front of Magnus. "It wasn't easy and took me and Izzy about a day to go through every book in the library, to put down all the dates mentioned and calculate this date." Magnus raised his eyebrows. "I just called Catarina," Alec smiled. "Try it, I swear it's better than the stew." He took a bit of the cake with a spoon and lifted it to Magnus’s mouth. The cake tasted great. It was still a bit hot and soft, and the chocolate filling was spreading in his mouth creating a warm feeling inside. 

"It''s great," Magnus said with a smile. Alec removed a piece of chocolate from the corner of his mouth with his finger. 

"Let's dance," he said suddenly and stood up. 

"You don't like dancing," Magnus replied, a shadow of suspicion in his voice.

"And you don't like birthdays," Alec was already working on a recorder. "And who said I don't like dancing?" He offered Magnus his hand as the music started palying. 

 _You're just too good to be true_  
_I can't take my eyes off you_  
_You'd be like heaven to touch_  
_I wanna hold you so much_

"I love that song," Magnus noticed as he embraced Alec and they started dancing slowly, following the melody of the song.

 _At long last love has arrived_  
_And I thank God I'm alive_  
_You're just too good to be true_  
_Can't take my eyes off you_

"Me too," Alec whispered. "It always reminds me of you."

This was the best birthday party Magnus had had in a long time.

 _Pardon the way that I stare_  
_There's nothing else to compare_  
_The sight of you leaves me weak_  
_There are no words left to speak._

 


End file.
